It was a the opinion of some during the game that Book didn't have open receivers to pass to the majority of the night (but especially in the first half) against Louisville. I decided to do a film study, where those of you who think I'm just an overly critical, blind hater of Book can see exactly what I saw in the game. Admittedly, I don't really watch the game much anymore as a fan, but I understand that most people do... So I'll point some things out for the people who think I'm full of shit, or who simply watch the game as a fan and follow the ball. This isn't an attempt to be critical of Ian, but rather, to dispel the myth that ND didn't have a plethora of receivers open on Monday night. These aren't all of the examples, but some of the glaring ones that I thought would make for a good film study. If you're interested in learning a little bit more about the nuances of the passing game, give it a read and watch the film I've linked below at the times I have specified.
6:02... Louisville sends the blitz off the edge. Ian's hot read is immediately to look for Claypool into the boundary, but look at both Brock Wright and the slot receiver to the field (right side). The middle linebacker steps up thinking he's getting run and both ND receivers are downfield without a player within 15 yards of them. They were the closest player to one another without question and the simplest pass was an easy touchdown with a one serving as the pass catcher and the other serving as a downfield blocker post catch. Book takes the sack.
8:45... ND runs the RPO, with Claypool running the slant. He makes a hell of a catch on a ball thrown behind him, but the act of the catch takes him to the ground. If the ball is placed on him, he has the chance to make the safety miss (or run through him) and the corner is completely out of the play. That 2 feet can be the difference between the first down (which was achieved) and a chance at a touchdown if Claypool runs through the arm tackle of the safety and takes it the house.
9:16... It's 4th down and ND runs a rub route crossing concept and both Finke and Claypool are wide open for first downs. I would have actually thrown to Claypool on this route as he's the bigger, more physical receiver and he simply has to turn up field and fall down and the drive continues. He's even more open than Finke. Ian instead throws a ball low and out in front of Finke, taking him to the ground and forcing him to come up short of the 1st down. I don't have a problem with the read, Finke was wide open, the throw was simply poorly executed. Claypool was wide open as well though for an easy first down. Hell, Brock Wright is sitting in the middle of the Louisville zone wide open too. Ian easily could just drill the ball into his big tight end for a first down.
11:39... This is exactly what I'm talking about when I'm critical of Book vacating a clean pocket, for absolutely no reason. Freeze the frame at 11:42. Not only is Brock Wright screaming down the middle of the field wide open with a touch pass over the linebacker that is stepping up to take Claypool on the crossing route, the wide receiver at the top of the screen (I think it's Finke) comes wide open for an easy first down if Book has his head up and is looking to make a pass. Instead, he wants to vacate a perfectly clean pocket to run, with 2 wide open receivers directly in what would have been his field of vision had he just been looking up... He scrambles and is taken down for a short gain, causing another punt. When Rees said he wants Ian to come off his first receiver and finish his progression, this is a prime example of why. He has guys wide open on a key third down.
20:57... There is actually nothing wrong with what Book does here. Louisville was playing zone and both Claypool and Tremble sit down as they're taught, well beyond the sticks and present big targets for Book to let it rip. Ian makes a confident, decisive, throw and picks up an easy first down. The reason I included this highlight is that the premise of my post surrounds the idea that ND had receivers open early and often. Often, multiple receivers on a single play. Claypool and Tremble were both WIDE OPEN here, dispelling, yet again, the idea that ND doesn't have the speed or playmakers to get open. Book had his choice here and made one of two great decisions. The point is that he had options.
21:06... This has the chance to be a huge play and winds up being a great catch by Lawrence Keys, but Book's lack of accuracy, much like on the Finke and Claypool plays earlier, cost Notre Dame. Tremble does a great job of clearing out the slot defender on the seem route as Keys breaks underneath him on the slant route. It's a timing throw. If that ball is thrown in front of him, in stride, there is a significant possibility he runs right up the seem for 6. One guy had a chance for a tackle coming across the field and it would have been really hard to bring Keys down at that angle. Instead the play counts as a completion, but is the difference 12-15 yard gain and a potential touchdown. Long complained about the lack of plays for big yardage last year. "Explosives" as they've come to be known. Kelly talked about not all explosives needing to come via the deep ball, but that hitting receivers in stride in the pressure points of the opposition defense can also lead to game changing plays. This is a prime example of what he was talking about. This play, if executed better, almost assuredly scores, or at the very least goes for enormous yardage.
21:18... Book scrambles for a nice first down here on third and 4, but it was never necessary. At the snap he immediately looks for Chase Claypool running the dig route in the boundary. He has a clean pocket and has plenty of time to continue his progression. To the field, Tony Jones flares out of the backfield, causing Chris Finke's corner to come racing up to take away the running back. There isn't a player within 5 yards of Finke who is sitting on the hash, beyond the sticks, waiting for an easy pitch and catch. Book instead looks for a lane to scramble and does a nice job of picking up the first down, but had he simply turned his head to the field, he could have drilled Finke, who may have had a bunch of room for YAC down the sideline after the catch. He couldn't have been more wide open.
